Hunter in coma was not shot by mate - family

A Napier hunter is distraught at suggestions he shot his mate while hunting on Wednesday night.

Former Hamilton man Nigel Ross, 69, is in an induced coma in Waikato Hospital after he was shot in the shoulder while hunting deer in native forest off State Highway 1 at Hatepe, south of Taupo, about 10.30pm.

It was initially reported he was shot by a hunting companion, but a Ross family spokesperson said that wasn't the case.

The companion, from Napier, did not want to be named when contacted by the Times yesterday, but confirmed he was unarmed and Mr Ross was carrying the firearm. "Nigel's companion is absolutely devastated there's any inference he has done it," the spokesperson said. "It's just wrong."

The woman said the pair were walking along a forestry track when they noticed vehicle lights approaching from behind. "They turned to see what was going on and two shots rang out, and (the companion) dropped to the ground and rolled down a bank. And then Nigel called out and said: `I've been shot'."

There were two people inside the vehicle – a man and a young boy.

The man who allegedly fired the shots then helped the pair to safety, driving them within cellphone range to call emergency services. "Nigel is in surgery as we speak but is in a critical but stable condition. It was a high-calibre rifle and apparently when they explode inside a body it does a hell of a lot of damage."

Mr Ross had been hunting for decades and was a "sensible hunter". The family were baffled as to why the other people thought they were animals. "They weren't in camouflage gear. One would have thought with headlights on that the person would have been able to see that it was two people."

When contacted yesterday, Mr Ross' companion said he had been told by police not to talk to media. Detective Sergeant Tony Manunui said he had spoken to the hunter involved in the shooting but it was too early to say whether charges would be laid.

- © Fairfax NZ News